National sorority disbanded->local?

[SisterSally]

So hypothetically speaking, say a chapter of a national sorority were disbanded, not for risk management, but for other reasons mostly beyond the chapter's control.

Would said sorority be able to keep their membership and stay together as a local, if they were self-sufficient enough? (kind of like a reverse of the process where a local sorority joins a national sorority)

Furthermore, once all the actives who had been initiated into the aforementioned national sorority had graduated, would the new members (who had only been in the local sorority) be able to affiliate with a different national organization?

[AZTheta]

Are you talking about NPC?

[SisterSally]

Yes.

[AOII Angel]

It has happened several times.

[33girl]

Yes and yes. Also, a lot depends on how the college administration and campus as a whole views it. If the administration thinks the national is full of poo for wanting to yank the chapter's charter, if the sorority is a popular one both with girls rushing and with other Greeks, and if local groups are not viewed as "less than," the women can probably stay together and make it work.

[TSteven]

And just to be clear, the “new” local would not be able to use the NPC letters, ritual or any trademarks belonging to the NPC organization.

And any of the "new members" - those who had only been in the local sorority - would be able to affiliate with a national organization at any time. It might be frowned upon on your campus, but if one is not a member of a national organization, then they should be able to join one - if they meet that organization’s membership criteria etc.

[Katmandu]

Beloit college has an interesting history of sororities...long standing locals, also a couple of national orgs. One popular local affiliated with a national, then reverted to a local in the 60s when the girls elected a black president and....long story. They are still on campus as a thriving local, along side another local and a couple of nationals, one recolonized within the last 6-7 years. Some campuses have complex histories of greek life. I think the national has made approaches to re affiliate the local, but they like being local and politely declined.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by TSteven

And any of the "new members" - those who had only been in the local sorority - would be able to affiliate with a national organization at any time.

I do not believe this is true. Once your chapter severs ties with the national organization, they no longer are alumnae of that chapter IF they resigned their membership. Their daughters are no longer legacies to the former national org when memberships is resigned. New members have zero ties to the national. I don't know of any NPC chapter that would consider members those local members who joined as the local. An NPC alumna can correct me if I am wrong.

[sigmagirl2000]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

I do not believe this is true. Once your chapter severs ties with the national organization, they no longer are alumnae of that chapter IF they resigned their membership. Their daughters are no longer legacies to the former national org when memberships is resigned. New members have zero ties to the national. I don't know of any NPC chapter that would consider members those local members who joined as the local. An NPC alumna can correct me if I am wrong.

That isn't what's being said, I don't think. I think they're asking if they separate from NPC group A, can members who join AFTER ties are severed can petition to be initiated as members of NPC group B if their local seeks out a different NPC org. Thus members now would remain alumnae of NPC group A, then they'd remain as a local, then after all NPC group A alumnae graduate, the local would try to affiliate with NPC group B..... I don't know if I explained that clearly or not...

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by sigmagirl2000

That isn't what's being said, I don't think. I think they're asking if they separate from NPC group A, can members who join AFTER ties are severed can petition to be initiated as members of NPC group B if their local seeks out a different NPC org. Thus members now would remain alumnae of NPC group A, then they'd remain as a local, then after all NPC group A alumnae graduate, the local would try to affiliate with NPC group B..... I don't know if I explained that clearly or not...

Yes, this is how I read it as well. This happened at Wichita State in Kansas, where two Chi Omegas who had transferred in from different schools started their own local sorority that then was colonized by Kappa Kappa Gamma. The two founders didn't "go national" with the rest of the organization, but everyone else could because they weren't part of a national organization previously.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

I do not believe this is true. Once your chapter severs ties with the national organization, they no longer are alumnae of that chapter IF they resigned their membership. Their daughters are no longer legacies to the former national org when memberships is resigned. New members have zero ties to the national. I don't know of any NPC chapter that would consider members those local members who joined as the local. An NPC alumna can correct me if I am wrong.

"new members" are members who have not been initiated yet so they would be free to join another NPC group once the charter was relinquished. If you are an initiated member of the chapter - alum or collegian - you will always be a member unless you resign your membership. In any case, you are not, once initiated, ever eligible for membership in another NPC group.

Does that cover it?

[IndianaSigKap]

OK...I see i was answering a different question. I thought he was asking if members of the local who were never members of the national would automatically eligible to be members of the original national. Thanks all!

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by SisterSally

Furthermore, once all the actives who had been initiated into the aforementioned national sorority had graduated, would the new members (who had only been in the local sorority) be able to affiliate with a different national organization?

Originally Posted by TSteven

And any of the "new members" - those who had only been in the local sorority - would be able to affiliate with a national organization at any time. It might be frowned upon on your campus, but if one is not a member of a national organization, then they should be able to join one - if they meet that organization’s membership criteria etc.

I was only addressing the members who had only been in the local sorority.

[TSteven]

Edited because reply posted twice.

[OPhiAGinger]

Seems like this happened at Penn State.

A few years ago, the Penn State Greek Life office mandated that all local sororities on campus must affiliate with a national organization. We were delighted to have one of those local groups affiliate with us as our Alpha Theta Chapter.

But at least one of the other local sororities was absorbed into an NPC group on campus -- Phi Mu. I'm curious about whether that other local sorority had originated from a different NPC group years earlier. Does anyone know their pre-Phi Mu origins?